Collapses halfway through

Rating: 6/10 (22 October 2003)

The movie opens quite elegantly. It's derivative, certainly, cannibalizing 'The Stand,' 'Dawn of the Dead,' and 'The Thing' (among others), but it takes itself quite seriously, and that's something. There are some genuinely disturbing moments early on--the walk through the eerily silent metropolis, Jim's first encounter with a jerking, hissing zombie, Selena's startling response to the attack on Mark. The plot is frequently implausible (taking Valium to help them SLEEP?), and the approach is occasionally tone-deaf, too (the jolly grocery-shopping scene is one embarrassing example), but overall it makes a more than respectable start.
Unfortunately, it collapses about halfway through, bogging down in a boring and rather ugly new storyline that leads to a needlessly vicious climax. And, really, even at its best '28 Days Later . . .' never realizes its philosophical potential--the closest it gets is a throwaway conversation where Selena talks about the implications of the end of civilization. Jim basically shrugs it off, as do the filmmakers. Horror movies don't often achieve much depth, of course, but this one doesn't even have the sinister wit of Danny Boyle's previous effort'Shallow Grave,' and I think this might finally prove the theory that this director is only as good as his screenwriter. While I can't deny that here he shows just how gorgeous digital video really can be, unfortunately his self-conscious composition too often gets in the way of the story, especially early on (when there still is a story to get in the way of).
Performances are basically likable (especially Cillian Murphy in the lead), except for 'Shallow Grave' veteran Christopher Eccleston, who's wasted in his one-note role. Overall, it's probably worth a watch for fans of the genre, but you won't want to see it again. 6 out of 10.